Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-05-31


the poor widow was unable to arEne.
What did she care for the doctrine oil
states rights? How could the per-
petuation or abolition OF slavery az
feet herf Her four boys were gone
marching away. marching away. Not
with plumes waving ard victorious
banners floating in the breeze No, not
triumphant and flushed with hope.
They had gone marching away into
the jaws of grim death, to fill the
breach in the lines by the Potomac's
crimsoned food. Marching away with
Topping cloth hats and mixed gray
uniforms OF homespun, and iIl-fiStiue
shoes of red leather. your boys had
gone. marching away, marching away
Eben was killed in the wilderness.
Riley died in prison. Hamp died of ex-
haustion and the hardships OF the
northern climate. while following Jeb.
Stuart in his wild rides over mountain
and valley.
All, you that are thrilled with stir
ring emotions when you read how
that knightly commander, bearded
and booted, rode forward down into
battle with song on his lips
When the dew is on the blossom
Little think We how many brave
boyish hearts swelled up into THEN
Threats at the thought of widowed
mothers among the barrens.
Mack came home. He was brought
on the cars to the nearest STATEN,
and then hauled in a cart to his home
in the piney woods. Only the poor
shattered wreck of man came home
and she had watched four stout lads
60 marching away.
II haint got but two now, an Mack,
poor TELLER, I'm afeared he'll never sex
the blackberry blossoms ag'in. Ee
was terribly wounded at the start an
them hospitle muses. thest in a man
ner made it wuss Then here's Littls
Dick. God SEN they won't want my
baby boy"
But they did. They wanted tbs
baby boy. The hungry war dogs
must snap and snarl over the weakly
frame of Little Dick, too.
How well / remember the weakly
looking ladt Five feet. scant at that
slender and boyish. Two great hoi
low eyes set in a pinched, pale face
the unattractiveness of which was
heightened by a thin, scattered head
OF sun scorched hair. A little whitish
fuzzy down on cheek and chin, wher,
the beard should have appeared had
| the surroundings given more encour
agement. Colo-less complexion, saw,
the sallow cast of sunburn, and few
blue veins up under the brim of hi,
| Topped hat. The ill-itting clothe.
hung about his person, and the boys
said that he used to have to drag hi
musket when out of breath on a lon;
march.
Poor Aunt Mimal She left the bed
side where the body of her emaciates
boy lay in inert and Indifferent pros
tration between life and death, tn,
manly tones of voice dwindled dow
to querrelous treble. and the animal
ed look changed to the vacant nerve
less stare of hopelessness. She lef
this sorrowful scene to enfold in 1
fond embrace the puny form OF he
baby boy. Great tears chased on
another down the bosom of the i'll fit
| ting jacket, and kisses rained on tn
sun-burned cheek until the lips, parch
ed with griei. were no longer able t.
drop the holy dew of mothers low
on the pale cheek of her baby boy
Betty wept, and prayed, and hugget
Little Dick to her bosom-that bosom
on which his baby locks had oft beel
pillowed.
Sheit was who first taught the bah,
to walk, and then to talk. She hat
said "Lony, now fur litter, Dick,
and Dick had tried his spindle legs
and found .out the secret of cree
locomotion. She had said. NANNY
say nanny, fur litter, Little Dick,
and Little Dick had croaked out
sort OF gurgle that was interpreted a
good English language by the fon.
sister.
Goodbye. Little Dick. May &c,
keep my darling baby boy from harm
Goodbye Little Dick. Oh. M,
precious little buddy OH
Dick was gone. Two big tears pillow
ed each furrow down the sunbrown
ed cheek and hung trembling on tn
fuzzy chin like rain drops on tn
hairy calyx OF wild thistle Dicl
was gone. Marching in stracglin
ranks with gray bearded men
too old for service, ant
other beardless boys too young t,
| OCeiA at MS Liz ClatS IEOOpS.
What satire on the pomp AVID gIor,
OF war, to call these weak kneed OLD
men, and these weak armed boys
troops. But the hungry howl of tn
1 fierce dogs OF warcome sweeping acros
the hills and valleys and echoes iron
creg to crag in the mountains.
Times were hard in Georgia. They
were desperate in the piney woods
Hungry, hollow-eyed women Wen
from house TO house asking aid. /
few SHAREHOLDERS had corn and thel
gave it out in small quantities TO tn
most needy. Sometimes bands o
| desperate women attacked a barn o
| commissary and carried off the con
tents. Rob the most docile ANNA
OF her young, slay her mate and thel
starve her, and see il the num5ed fac
ulties do not gradually, but surely
concentrate into the one wild instinc
| OF preservation.
Poor old Aunt 'Mimal She woulC
leave Betty at home and walk many
miles across the desolate pine wood
to secure the cracklings from the plan
tatlon fat gourd, or little dribble O
molasses in the old brown jug wher
Ebenezer used to keep the ''Sperits."
i remember seeing the good woman
once with handful of eracklings aut
a skirty piece of dried beef in her apron
and that jug under her arm. She haG
walked FIVE miles, starting early, to Sc
cure these, and was now on her return
and two miles yet from home. TIL